This invention relates to a device for destroying hypodermic needles. Today most injections are given with disposable hypodermic syringes which are supplied to hospitals and doctor's offices in sterile packages. Each hypodermic syringe is discarded after a single use so that there is no chance to cross-contaminate patients. In light of the numerous injections given today, this creates a substantial disposal problem. Accidental needle injuries to hospital personnel have become extensive due to the careless handling of the used syringes and creates a major health care problem. Even with specific instructions and careful handling their have been numerous injuries. Persons scratched by a used needle frequently do not know what kind of an injection or what illness the person had when the syringe was originally used. There have been a substantial number of persons who have become ill as a result of one of these needle-scratch incidents while initially it was not known that the illness was needle related.
In the prior art there have been a variety of destructor devices, such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,958,765, all of which basically pulverize the entire syringe into small pieces. Devices of this type are very substantial in size, since they require a very large motor and grinding unit, and therefore can only be located at one or two stations in a hospital. Utilizing a system of this type cannot prevent the injuries in handling between the point of use of the syringe and the central disposal site.
Another destructing device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,404,593. While it is hand-operated, it does require a rather substantial structure and more complex operation than the very simplified unit of the present invention.